Concentration measurement of analytes is useful in medical or environmental fields, such as medical diagnosis, medical treatment through medicine, and detection of harmful chemical materials. Concentration measurement of biological samples is of importance because the results of the measurement are used for medical diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Such concentration measurement is executed in various places including clinical laboratories, hospitals, and home. For example, concentration measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in blood is useful for diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
In order to measure analytes of biological samples, a series of chemical processes, such as reaction, stirring, or washing, using a reagent which is specifically combined with the analytes can be performed. Here, the reagent which is combined with the analytes that are to be measured may be included in a measuring apparatus or in a separate vessel. However, in the case where a reagent that is to be combined with analytes is contained and stored in a measuring apparatus, there are difficulties in keeping the reagent without any spoilage for a long time.
Meanwhile, in the case where a reagent that is to be combined with analytes is supplied through a separate reagent vessel, a vessel in which the reagent is contained may be made of glass or thermoplastics. If a vessel in which the reagent is contained is a glass bottle, a process of detecting any crack of the glass bottle is required for precise measurement of analytes because such a glass bottle is relatively expensive and breaks easily. However, since thermoplastics are lighter in weight and lower in price than glass, most of vessels for storing reagents are made of thermoplastics.
In the case where a reagent that is to react with biological samples is supplied to a measuring apparatus through a separate vessel, the vessel stores the reagent. For example, in order to measure the concentration of glycated hemoglobin in blood, a reagent vessel can store materials that specifically react with glycated hemoglobin.
However, in this case, separate reagent vessels for storing respective reagents that are to be specifically combined with glycated hemoglobin in blood are needed. Also, a measurer should pour reagents contained in a plurality of reagent vessels into a measuring apparatus at regular time intervals. Particularly, in the case where the plurality of reagent vessels are vacuum tubes, operation of opening the vacuum tubes and then pouring reagents contained in the vacuum tubes into the measuring apparatus is needed. However, since the operation requires the direct intervention of a measurer, the measure will feel inconvenient. Also, such manipulations may make a measuring process difficult, which inevitably delays a measuring time.